We Are Those People

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

Okay, so maybe the room still needs a little work before it's Santa-ready.

Here's the part you're not going to believe: This was Shrike's idea. Well, more or less.

More, in the sense that she's been asking about Christmas decorations since Halloween, and I've been putting her off until the fresh trees were available, because I knew I had to do it all at once, or it wouldn't get done.

If we had an artificial tree, we'd have had everything up on November 1.

Less, in that we were tentatively planning to buy the tree on Sunday, but since we're doing Thanksgiving dinner that day (Shrike works tomorrow, and her sister and her partner probably do, too.) that wasn't going to work.

I was the one who suggested that we do it today, right after picking up the truck from being inspected. On the way there, we found our rationalization for having it up so early - a $10 off a $50 purchase "project starter" card from Lowe's, expiring today!

(This was also the rationalization for purchasing a new string of icicle lights, rather than trying to find and replace the burnt-out bulbs in last year's string.)

For at least the second year in a row, we picked the first tree that we took a good look at.

"Can I buy this one, too?"

Creepy-life-size-singing-Santa was a big hit.

As was this musical snow globe.

When we got home, I started on dinner, then brought up decorations (and took down crib parts) while it baked (and Shrike watched videos with Peeper, to keep her away from the open basement door), and then we put the tree and decorations up after we ate.

Shrike took Peeper downstairs to play while I did the garland and tree lights, because her "help" wasn't so much helpful as a big pain in my ass. When they came back up, I had the garland strung, and the tree about half lit.

Peeper walked right up to the tree and said, "Oooooh! Ooooooh! Chriiiiiistmaaaas liiiiights! Oooooh, preeeety Chriiiiiistmaaaas liiiiights!"

Then I realized that she wasn't looking at the tree, but rather the ball of lit lights in my hand that were about to go on the tree.

It really was quite pretty, actually.

While I finished hanging the lights, Shrike and Peeper took a tour of our relationship, in the ornament box. That was fun, listening to her explain where all the ornaments came from, or talking about the pictures of the critters.

Well, fun and a little sad, when we came to all the ones of MamaCat and GirlCat.

And a little funny, because well, because Peeper is Peeper.

She picked up one of GirlCat, and was talking to it, saying "I wuv you, GirlCat," so I said, "We miss you, GirlCat."

Well, she glommed on to that, and when she picked up the next ornament - of BoyCat - she said, "Oh, BoyCat. I miss you, BoyCat."

I said, "You don't have to miss him. He's right here."

"Oh, I miss you BoyCat ormament."

After everything was decorated, we had our traditional Christmas Tree Night snug on the couch - Peeper got ready for bed, and then had goody on the couch, while we looked at the tree and listened to The Nutcracker CD. That's always been our music of choice for this event, but this is the first time we've had Peeper singing along to it!

When it became painfully obvious that she was not going to fall asleep there, I asked her if she wanted to move to her bed, and she jumped right on that plan. When we got there, we read both of her Nutcracker books (as is our routine these days) and she was out.